This Thing
by stillhiding
Summary: The story begins where season 4 has left off. Gail has taken a huge step, introducing Holly to her brother Steve and friend Chris.
1. Different

~Please note that this picks up from where Season 4 left off. Suggestions and/or criticism is welcome, so please comment or leave me a message if need be. I will leave the story open-ended; depending on the feedback/reviews I may continue to add chapters. Keep in mind that this is my very first fanfiction piece, with that being said there's always room for improvement. Hope you guys like it!~

After the introductions, Gail promised that her brother and Chris would see more of Holly but at that moment all she wanted was to go home and curl up in bed to have some rest.

"Do you want me to take you? I was going to do some paperwork and then head out", Chris chimed.

Steve added, "Yea, I was just about to take off as well. Want to tag along?"

"Actually, I think I'm just going to go with Holly", Gail said, her hand still resting on the brunette's back from their earlier embrace.

The two men didn't object, realizing that Gail was safe and seemed to enjoy Holly's company. Although he had only seen them together recently, Steve saw something different in his sister's behaviour. She looked at Holly the same way he looks at Traci; knowing that between them there's something more that is itching to be explored. But on top of that, Gail rarely (and he meant _rarely_) physically took hold of anyone and there she was, almost attached to this new person in her life.

Silently, Gail and Holly walked to the car and got in. Gail knew that she had some explaining to do, not necessarily because she felt it was owed to Holly, but because she wanted to be able to tell this strange and interesting being all of the things running through her head. Holly made her nervous, and Gail Peck is hardly ever on edge. It was all so confusing to her. How did she let this simple girl sitting next to her into her life so easily? But more importantly, _why_ did she let her walls come down and let Holly see her in her most vulnerable moments?

She struggled getting her words out, feeling awkward for breaking the almost perfect sound of nothingness. "Holly I...Thank you...for coming to the station. I'm sorry if I-"

"Stop. You don't have to apologize for anything. I shouldn't have gone into the station expecting you to want to talk right then and there", she offered.

"I want to talk about _this_. About what _this_ is. I don't know how to do _this_. Sure, you're different with your love of dead people and love of batting cages, which I will not do again, but you're _different_Holly...and that scares me" Gail turned her eyes from her lap to Holly's face to look for some sort of reaction. She admired the curve of her lips, as Holly's mouth moved into a sincere smile; she knew that the cold, snarky Gail didn't confess like this often.

"I like you Gail. But whether you feel that way or not is fine with me. We can see where _this_ goes, or we can stay friends because honestly, I just want you to be happy with whatever you choose"

Gail's focus moved back to her lap and she felt her heart flutter. Holding her breath she asked, "Mind if I stay at your place? I really don't feel like answering Chris' 101 questions when he gets back" Really, only wanting more alone time with the girl beside her.

Holly took it as a conclusion to Gail's confession. For now anyway. Slowly, Gail was coming undone. Why did she of all people get to be the one who broke down Gail's façade? "Yea, of course", she said, turning her head to glance at the blonde.

"Eyes on the road, dork", Gail commented with a smirk.

The rest of the ride to Holly's apartment was quiet, but it was nice. Peaceful. They didn't need to say anything because the comfort of the silence said it all. Holly was getting to know the real Gail and both of them knew that. Finally pulling in, Gail noticed the elegance that the outside area of the complex displayed, perfectly trimmed trees, a large fountain situated in the middle of the luscious grass, even the doorman who seemed too well-off to be in such a position. She didn't peg Holly for the high-class, sophisticated life-style. "Well, this makes casa Peck, Diaz et Epstein look like a complete shithole", she remarked.

Holly chuckled. "I guess my gross, unsanitary job has given me some perks"

Before Holly could slide out of the car, Gail grabbed her by the arm, stopping her from moving any further. "Seriously, thank you, for everything", Gail said, her blue eyes locking with Holly's. Before she could shy away from the thought, Gail placed her hands on the sides of Holly's face just as she had done in the interrogation room and planted her lips. This time the kiss wasn't as rushed and it was more tender. Gail remarked the kisses that they had shared and every single one sent a jolt through her body. She knew that Holly was special, after all, you don't necessarily bring a plus one to a wedding if they don't mean something.


	2. Something New

They walked through the door and into the elevator with their fingers twined together. Holly remembered her babbling in the interrogation room. She knew that, being a police officer, Gail did in fact have to risk her own life in many situations but that's what scared her so much. If something happened to this girl Holly would be devastated; it was starting to become really obvious that she was falling for Gail, the girl who at first was off limits because she "hates fleece". She admired the sarcastic, strong and witty girl who was standing closely beside her; she was a forensic pathologist and Gail was sort of like a superhero...not only because she helped people, but because she was always trying to hide who she is. In the movies, there's always one person that knows the superhero's true identity; Mary Jane Watson knew Spider-Man was Peter Parker, Pepper Potts knew Iron Man was Tony Stark, and Alfred Pennyworth knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. With this thought, she began to think of herself as the Mary Jane, Pepper, and Alfred and couldn't help chuckling to herself because after all of the superhero analogies she realized that if she had said it out loud Gail would comment on how much of a nerd she was.

Gail looked at Holly and her brows furrowed. "What's so funny?" she spit out.

"Nothing" Holly smirked, shaking her head and finally pressing the button to her floor.

Gail squinted her eyes and gave Holly a burning glare that would've scared away anyone.

"Oh stop looking at me like I'm going to go running for the hills" Holly threw at her in response to Gail's cold facial expression, really only thinking that it made her kind of cuter.

The elevator doors opened and Gail was the first to step out and walk down the hall, leading Holly despite not even knowing where to go. "Isn't that what everyone does? Just take off from someone's life to never be seen again?" she said, immediately regretting the comment because knowing the brunette, it would only be followed with more long conversation, as much as she found it strangely adorable when Holly gushed away about her feelings; it was refreshing to see someone be so open even though she herself had a hard time doing the same.

Holly stopped walking and tugged at Gail's hand so that she had stopped as well. "Hey -", her eyes met Gail's whose were shyly brought up from the hallway floor. "- I'm not going anywhere. If you want me to stay, I'll stay. Heck, I want to stay"

Gail wasn't sure why she even made the comment in the first place, probably just her lack of sleep after the double shift, but coming from Holly, Gail could only hear sincerity and honesty in her response; she wanted her to stay. It was something that she hadn't felt with anyone in a really long time and it felt right.

Holly began, "And Gail..." another smirk crept onto her face, "...you're going the wrong way", and she giggled to which the blonde rolled her eyes and followed Holly's lead down the opposite end of the empty hall.

The inside of Holly's apartment definitely seemed like Holly, Gail noted as she looked around. Her kitchen showed a tea kettle on the stove, dark chestnut cupboards and a marble topped island, in the living room there were books overflowing on the bookshelf-which she only imagined to be other ones she's written-, an abstract painting on the wall, brown leather couches focused towards a flat screen television, and Cosmo magazines spread across the glass table which was centered in the middle of the living room. Above all she took note that it was just as neat as her workspace. Gail soon found herself wondering if her bedroom was just as organized and then just as quickly found herself trying to erase her thought because it had caught her off guard. "Got yerself a nice place here, yah nerd" she said.

"I honestly think I live at the lab more than I even do here" she responded, making her way through the room and into one with a door that had been closed.

"Once again, I point out that you're a nerd" Gail called out, as she sat on the cold cushions of the couch, making herself comfortable while waiting for Holly to return.

Not long after, she returned and threw a t-shirt and sweatpants to Gail. "Says the one who, Chris said earlier, totally kicks ass at video games"

"I think it's a great talent of mine" she retorted, head held high.

Holly pointed at a door, "Washroom is right over there, I'm going to make us some tea and then it's bedtime for you Ms. Peck"

Gail made her way into the washroom and locked the door behind her. For some reason, she felt a little nervous. It's not like she's never spent the night at someone else's home, she's done it plenty of times. 'Stop being stupid', she thought to herself as she started to undress her uniform and put on Holly's clothes. She turned to the mirror once she was done and tried to reassure herself that it was nothing new, brushing it off as just being tired and that the fatigue was just getting to her.

"Comfortable?" Holly asked, sliding the warm tea across the island to where Gail sat.

"If I said no?" Gail raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Well, one, you would be lying, and two, I don't think going naked would be your smartest idea" She said confidently.

Gail liked that Holly was swift to make a smart comment after her own. She took in her jabs and dished them right back out. "Why is that?" she asked playfully, knowing what Holly was hinting at. Holly sipped her tea and gave no answer, letting Gail's mind wander. Never had she been with a girl sexually and maybe it was just a spur of the moment but she wondered how many girls Holly had been with and found a wave of jealousy come over her towards anyone who had. She could admit it, she thought she was attractive. Her hair perfectly suited and complimented the shape of her face, her brown eyes were innocent yet at times very sultry, her lips beautifully shaped-and soft-, and she did have a really inviting body.

"Looking at something Gail?" She was caught in the act. Gail realized that her eyes were placed on Holly's chest.

"Uh" She shook her thoughts from her head "N-nope. I was just in a daze. It's the stupid double shift" she lied. "Thank god Frank gave me the day off tomorrow"

Holly nodded her head, obviously unconvinced "Mhhhm"

After some small talk and finishing their teas, Holly led Gail to the spare bedroom.

"Alright, it's all you from here. Goodnight"

Gail reached for Holly's wrist before she had a chance to turn and walk away. "Stay" she said, almost in a whisper. She looked at the beautiful girl standing in front of her and felt a sudden burn in her stomach; she'd never felt so strongly about anyone before, not even Nick, dare she think of him. Her lips met Holly's and suddenly Gail found herself craving more. Breaking away for only a moment she added "Remember when you said it wouldn't kill me to try something new? Let's try something new" Her lips found Holly's again and her fingers found the hooks of her jeans, drawing them closer together.

As much as Holly wanted to comply, she knew that Gail needed her sleep regardless of the fact that she had the next day off. "Not tonight" she said, stopping the kiss before Gail could become any more irresistible.

"Why not?" she pulled on Holly's shirt and bit her lip.

"Gail, let's go sleep, you need it" she said, kissing Gail's forehead and drawing her into the bedroom.

Gail sighed and put on her best pouting face as they both crawled into the warm bed. She knew how to get what she wanted. She always did. Trying again, Gail turned on her side and placed her hand under Holly's shirt, resting it on her bare stomach.

"Persistent aren't you?" Holly said, opening her eyes and staring at the practically begging girl in bed next to her, shaking the thought of giving in.

The guys always gave in. Maybe that was the problem, Gail thought. Holly was, well, fleece, geek, nerd, dork, lunchbox Holly. "Please?" she asked, biting her lip again.

It sent Holly's mind racing, but she couldn't let Gail win. She turned on her side and faced Gail to kiss her quickly before falling onto her back and saying "Goodnight Gail"

The blonde fell onto her back. "Ugh" she let out in frustration. "At least hold my hand" she said as she found Holly's hand and fit her fingers through her own.


	3. Better Sooner Than Later

"Hey Sleeping Beauty, wake up, I made you some coffee" Holly said, lightly shaking Gail.

Gail moved at Holly's touch, but kept her eyes closed. "Ten more minutes"

It was Holly's chance for payback after everything Gail put her through before they crawled into bed together and fell asleep the night before. Slowly, she climbed on the bed, straddling Gail's legs. "Officer Peeeeeck, it's 12:30, you need to get out of bed" she said, giving her a quick kiss afterwards.

Gail opened her eyes and gazed at Holly, immediately noticing how beautiful she looked looking down at her with her dark brown eyes and her hair falling from one side of her face. She never realized how attractive it was having a woman over your own body; after all, she was always the one on top. "You know nerd, if this is your way of trying to get me OUT of bed it's a pretty bad tactic" she shot, closing her eyes again. "I'm just going to lay here all afternoon, okay? Ok"

Holly let out a small giggle. "Well this, this is just a little payback for last night" she said, kissing Gail's lips and then leaving a trail of kisses down to her neck. She continued to plant kisses on Gail's warm neck, slowly becoming more aggressive and when she felt Gail's breath hitch and her hands sliding up her legs she got off of the blonde. "Coffee is in the kitchen" she said, walking out of the room.

Gail's eyes shot open and she raised herself onto her elbows. "Hey! Dork! I didn't say you can start slacking! Not cool man, not cool"

"I'm grabbing a cold class of water. My devious ways will get you out eventually" Holly called out from the kitchen.

Within minutes the two women were sitting across from each other drinking their coffees and Gail eating her toast. Holly stared at the woman, wondering how much longer it would be before Gail would fully come to terms with her feelings and leave the mask that she regularly put on; she knew that Gail was still unsure of what to call what they shared. They both sat in the silence and soaked in the pleasure of being near one another. Sure, they just spent the night together and Gail tried to get in her pants, but Holly knew she would be seeing more of the shy and reserved, too cool for feelings woman she knew Gail pretended to be. Although very slowly, the walls were coming down, and Holly knew that she would patiently wait no matter how long it took until those walls were finally gone. Gail needed time, she knew this, it's expected because it's something new and she respected Gail's space; she wouldn't pressure her into anything just in case her mind began to change. Her thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of Gail's phone.

Gail looked at her phone. It was a text message from Traci.

Traci: Hey Ice Queen, Sam is stable now and Dov says that the doctors have said Chloe is in better condition. Penny tonight? Bring Holly.

Gail was happy to hear about Sam and even happier knowing that Chloe was doing better. Sure, maybe she wasn't fond of her, but she's King Dork's Queen. Her eyes widened at the last part of the text. Of course Steve told her. She was kind of hoping to fill her in on her own when she felt ready.

She nervously typed at the keyboard.

Gail: Careful, you know I can get colder. Penny sounds great, see you there.

"Hey, do you maybe wanna go to the Penny tonight?" she asked Holly. "I think you owe me a shot of tequila for this morning" she added.

"Sure, but you're gonna have to beg for that shot just like you were last night" a sly grin crept onto Holly's face and the comment was responded by another one of Gail's icy glares.

While lazily spending the entire day at Holly's curled up together watching a CSI: Las Vegas marathon Gail couldn't help but think about the way Holly made her feel; It was something that she'd want to feel every day for the rest of her life and she despised so much that she even FELT any sort of emotion. Ugh she's such a dork in her plaid shirt and her cute glasses, she thought, not paying any mind to the television. Why did she have to be on duty at the scene when this woman and her lunchbox strutted down the hill? Why did she have to make her be all mushy and...gross feeling inside. It took her a while and she hated admitting her own feelings even to herself, but finally she knew what she wanted and she knew that she had to face it, better sooner than later. She knew that she wanted Holly. Every part of her. Her dorkiness, her big words and rambling when she's worried, her soft lips, her stupid lunchbox, everything. She started getting really nervous, knowing that it was the perfect moment and those didn't happen often.

"Oh, so when I stare I'm a dork, but you can stare?" Holly commented, turning her head to face Gail. "I think inside you're a bigger dork than I am. Were you in a daze again Gail? That's the second time I've caught you, and the first time it happened you were looking at my -"

"Holly stop talking" Gail cut in. Shocked, Holly complied. "I uh" Her mind started drawing a blank. She wasn't even sure she remembered what language they were speaking. Trying again, Gail locked eyes with Holly. "I don't like labels" she managed to get out. "But if we had to label this, we could, I mean, if you want. I like you, and I just, I don't do feelings Holly. This is weird for me, I don't feel, but with you I feel and it's weird, and the old lady told me not to be cynical. Oh, and Traci told me I deserve to be happy, and Oliver says I wouldn't expect it. And then there's Chris. All his stars mumbo-jumbo. Holly I just -"

This time it was Holly cutting off Gail by bringing her into a slow and passionate kiss. Her heart beat quickly in her chest. She'd been waiting for Gail to open up, but hadn't expected it to be so soon. She broke the kiss saying, "Gail, we don't have to label it if YOU don't want to, I'm okay with plus one".

Gail was thankful that Holly cut her off. "This doesn't change the fact that I don't like fleece" she said before placing her lips to Holly's again.

They walked into the Penny and found where Traci and Steve sat.

"We decided we'd wait for you guys before we got our drinks" Traci said.

"Yea it's about time. We thought you guys were bailing on us. I'm gonna go grab mine and my lady's drink now if you guys don't mind" he joked, making his way out of the booth.

"I'm going to join you" Holly slid off her seat as well, leaving Traci alone with Gail who was already panicking about anything her brother would possibly reveal to Holly.

A large smile drew across Traci's face and Gail knew she was in for the worst. Traci never gave up. She always ended up somehow knowing what Gail was thinking, but in the end Gail didn't mind. Traci was always just Traci; she kept everything to herself. "So Gail"

"Traci"

"Is this who your mom set you up on blind dates with?" Both women letting out an obnoxious laugh.


	4. Tequila

"This, I must say, I did not expect from man-eater Gail Peck" Traci offered.

Gail raised her eyebrows in response. "If you didn't expect it then how do you think I feel?"

Traci and Gail always confided in each other on some sort of level. Sure, most of the time Traci would keep on pressing until Gail finally gave, but it was never just to know her business, it was because she genuinely cared for Gail as a friend and Gail was able to see that. When Gail began to blame herself for Jerry's death, it was Traci who tried to reassure her that his death meant something; that he died for something important. As time went on and Steve began pestering her, Gail encouraged her to get back on the horse and give it a shot. She tolerated her on her cold days and even on her icy ones, knowing that as much as Gail didn't like being expressive, talking to Traci gave her whatever release she needed and she knew that she could do so without being judged. Their friendship was one that came together simply and only grew stronger over the years.

"Soooo how did you, I mean, when did you decide th-"

"That I like like Holly?" Gail cut in.

"That you like like Holly"

Gail recalled the countless times she spent with the pathologist. In the lab, the wedding, the batting cages, times when they would spend half an hour together to buy lunch and then be back to their separate fields of work. She never really thought of WHEN she started falling for Holly, she just knew that at some point she let her into her life and instead of trying to drive her out she wanted her to stay. She became so open with Holly that it had been obvious she was special. Then she remembered something Chris had told her 'There is no way you'd let anyone get close enough to do anything unless you wanted them to'. He was right; all of the time spent with Holly made her realize that she wouldn't want it to be any other way. There was no specific reason, all Gail knew was that she was happy and she hadn't felt that way in a long time. "It's confusing, I don't know. I just sort of knew...I guess you know when you know...She makes me happy and she's weird and smart and I like that" Gail concluded quickly, seeing that her date was walking back to the table with Steve. She smiled widely at Holly. "What have you brought me ma' lady?" she asked, seeing that it wasn't the tequila that she really wanted.

Holly and Steve shuffled back into the booth. "I've brought thou a beer" she said. "No tequila because...well you already know why" she threw in, knowing that Gail would question the whereabouts of her desired preference.

Steve jumped into the conversation. "I'm not entirely sure what that's about, and I don't think I want to" Holly chuckled at his response, shaking her head.

"So Gail, I was actually just telling Holly that you used to have these really, super cute chubby cheeks when you were younger and-OW" Gail swung at his arm, expressing her embarrassment of the memory.

"Hey Gail, so if I bought two beers and I buy two more, that's 22 right?" Holly burst into laughter and high-fived Steve, the both of them earning a look of death from Gail.

-I'M SORRY BUT I NEED TO CUT IN AND SAY THAT ALIYAH (HOLLY) JUST TWEETED AT ME OK PRETTY HAPPY SORRY -

The two couples respectively said their good-byes and parted ways. As Gail got into Holly's car her phone buzzed. It was a text from Steve.

Steve: Don't mess it up, kid.

Gail smiled to herself. Steve was always there for her; ever since they were little she knew that she could count on him. Unlike many others, he saw past her bluff and sure, it could have just been because they were related, but she liked to think of it as a true understanding. She cared for him just as much as he cared for her and now that he was with Traci, someone else she cared about, she couldn't be happier for him. Her fingers tapped away at her phone.

Gail: Shut up. Don't tell mom yet dumbo or I'll make sure Traci doesn't see you again…Don't hurt her either, I like her.

Holly had asked Gail how to get to her house and she followed the directions she was given. The majority of the ride had been made up of small talk and the enjoyment of silence.

Holly turned into the driveway and turned the car off. For a few moments they sat facing each other, eyes on one another and neither of them saying a word until Gail nervously broke the silence.

"I uh, I had fun tonight sooo thanks for coming with me and not letting me be third wheel" Her hand reached for the door handle and she began to pull on it, but suddenly she stopped herself. She turned back to face Holly and spit out what was in her thoughts. "Listen, I know it's past one and we both have to go in tomorrow, but Dov is at Chloe's and Chris left for Timmins to visit Christian an-"

"Yes" Holly interrupted too eagerly, also realising that Gail was nervous.

They both shared sincere smiles and walked towards the door. As they walked, Holly had noticed Gail clenching and unclenching her fists.

She wondered why she of all people had been the one to make her nervous, but also pondered how many other people Gail brought home.

"Stop" Holly said, grabbing both of Gail's hands.

Gail looked at Holly and took a deep breath. She knew that Holly could tell that the nerves were already kicking in.

"It's just that, usually I end up at their house, not mine" Gail spit out. There really was no other reason for this except for the fact that she never let anyone close enough to even be considered good enough to get so close.

"Trust me" she said. Holly leaned forward and tenderly kissed Gail's lips.

Gail rummaged through the liquor cabinet. "I know we have tequila somewhere…Where the hell did Dov put it…oh, I think, here it is!" With a large grin on her face she pulled the bottle from under the counter, and began twisting off the lid. Suddenly Holly's hands had grabbed the bottle.

She stood in front of Gail and raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Did you forget that you can't have any?" she said, waving the tequila in the air.

At first, Gail didn't know what she wanted more, the drink that she had been asking for all day or the woman opposite to her wearing a shirt that clearly complimented her chest. The look on Gail's face turned from excited under-aged teen to sweltering sultry in a matter of seconds. She took a few steps forward, closing the space between her and Holly. Gail leaned forward, grabbing the bottle to replace on the table and moved her mouth next to Holly's ear. Seductively, she whispered "How long are you going to make me wait?" Clearly, a question to a completely different topic.

Holly couldn't move, literally because Gail was pressed up against her and her back was against the table, but also because her mind wasn't telling her what to do. Gail was intoxicating.

"Speechless are you nerd?" she continued, slowly tracing kisses onto Holly's neck.

Holly's mind was completely clouded. The only thing that she managed to get out was Gail's name when she exhaled. Her hands moved to Gail's waist where her shirt had ridden up, showing her bare hips.

Gail couldn't hold it anymore, a smile crept onto her face and she began to laugh. "Bedroom's this way dork, don't get too excited yet" she said, taking Holly's hand and leading her down the hall.


	5. Giving Herself

After pushing the door to Gail's room open, they fumbled around clumsily through the dark, lips frenzily moving with each other as Gail guided Holly towards the bed. The back of Holly's knees hit the bed and with the blonde still pushing into her Gail fell against Holly, both of them letting out small giggles as they fixed themselves onto the soft blanket.

Holly let Gail rest her back on the bed and gazed down at her, marvelling at the one person she never expected to get through to.

"Are you going to kiss me, or just stare at me?" Gail's eyes were burning into her with desire and lust. She had a fairly strong idea of where their actions were headed, but she didn't really care, nor did she want to stop; being with Holly made her feel again, feel things she'd never known possible to feel for someone as reserved as herself.

Holly took a deep breath, unsure of how Gail would react or respond to what she was about to say. "Gail, I'm seriously falling for you" Holly had no doubt brought her fair share of women into the same bed, but never one that made her feel as incredible as this one did. Gail was a game-changer. In a way, she thought of herself as like Gail; not letting people in close enough to see their true self, but it was with Gail that made everything seem so easy. Something so innocent had quickly and unexpectedly turned into this strange entity; she was falling fast for her and she knew it.

Right at that moment, hearing Holly's words made Gail feel the same way as the first time Holly's lips met her own. This time, there was no confusion, only the fast beating of her once closed-off heart and an odd, yet satisfying twist in her stomach. Her facial expression changed from sensual to chaste and she looked deeply into Holly's modest eyes.

"I trust you"

Gail's answer wasn't a literal 'I love you' or a reciprocated 'I'm falling for you too' but to Holly it was everything that she needed and wanted to hear Gail say; she knew it was a big step for her. Not even big, it was a HUGE step; she was completely giving herself to Holly and it meant more than just a onetime thing.

A giant smile crossed Holly's face, causing Gail to perk up as well. "Stop smiling like that, you just look like a huge dork" she said, bringing her lips to Holly's once again. "And don't interrupt again or I might have to arrest you for some totally bogus reason"

Holly laughed against Gail's lips. "Yes officer" Her focus moved to Gail's exposed neck where she started to leave her increasingly aggressive kisses.

Gail's mind trailed to Holly and handcuffs. Her eye's immediately shot open "Actually that'd be really hot"

"Stop talking" Holly breathed into Gail's ear before returning to her gorgeous red lips.

Their lips entwined for only a few more minutes until Holly decided that the woman below her was wearing too many clothes. She moved her hands to Gail's exposed hips, leaving them there to slowly circle her warm skin before grasping her shirt and moving it over Gail's head. She admired her body; the way her breasts looked resting in her ridiculously sexy black bra, the way her stomach curved at the sides all the way down to her perfect hips, as well as her flat stomach that had a beauty mark right near her belly-button.

Her mouth found the top of Gail's enclosed breast, kissing and lightly nipping at her delicate skin. Gail let out a moan and tangled her fingers in Holly's long brown locks as she lifted her back, allowing Holly's gentle hands to unclasp her bra and remove it from her body. Realizing that Gail wasn't getting cold feet, Holly tried her luck some more, lingering around her chest.

She tenderly sucked on Gail's nipples, paying an equal amount of attention to both. She then began to massage her breasts with her hands, leaving them in place as she explored her way down her stomach. She stopped midway near her belly-button when the blonde's back arched once again. "Really?" she asked. "Your stomach does it for you?"

Gail giggled, "No! I'm just really ticklish, okay!?"

"Okay, okay!" Holly protested, continuing down to where Gail's stomach met her jeans.

Her hands stopped on the button of the jeans and her eyes fixated on Gail's. "May I?" she asked, raising her eyebrow in question.

She knew that at this point Gail probably wouldn't mind, especially that her chest was already exposed, but she asked anyway, not wanting to pressure her and wanting Gail to feel as comfortable as possible.

Gail bit her bottom lip and shook her head to give Holly the OK. Sure, the two of them joked about this happening, but now was the fated moment and she was more than ready to give Holly whatever she coveted.

She undid the button and zipper slowly, keeping her eyes intimately connected with Gail's as her hips thrust upward, allowing Holly to slide her jeans off of her legs.

"Wow, I thought those jeans made you look really good, but it turns out you look even hotter without them" Holly moved back to kissing Gail's lips, inching her hand between her thighs and lightly rubbing Gail through her panties. Gail let a moan escape from her lips as her thoughts became completely clouded with how insanely worked up Holly was making her.

For a quick moment, Holly thought of making Gail plead for her touch, but she resisted, realizing that she herself was too eager to want to slow down. Her fingers trailed into Gail's panties, and she traced down the middle of her burning core and then moved her fingers on the sensitive nub and circled it hungrily. Gail's head tilted backward, allowing Holly to nip and suck on her neck. Soon after, Gail's breathing became heavier when Holly slowly slid one of her fingers into her. She thrust her hand, making sure that Gail was wet enough before she allowed another finger to move in smoothly.

Holly shifted her body to allow a nice view of Gail's frame. She pushed hard in and out of Gail's core, curling her fingers each time to rub against her sensitive area, making the blonde bite down on her lip.

Gail's hands moved to her own breasts, rubbing and tugging at them as the brunette continued to send shivers through her body. Just when she thought she was close enough to let go, Holly removed her fingers, leaving her with a shocked look on her face.

Holly gave a sly smirk and began to kiss the inside of Gail's thighs. Ok, so maybe she did want to tease her a little. She carefully pulled off the lace and her mouth found Gail's dripping sex. Her tongue flicked over her clit daringly before her lips closed around it and she began to suck, bringing Gail back to the edge.

Gail's hands found Holly's hair, holding her luscious strands. "Holly" she breathed, letting her know that she was close.

It was soon that Gail lost all control. Her back arched and her hips bucked, rubbing herself against Holly's lips which were still moving against her.

When she was done, Holly lapped up all of her sweetness and pulled herself up to Gail's face, kissing her lips and allowing her to taste herself.

Both women lay side by side on their backs while Gail attempted to catch her breath. She was speechless. The words she wanted to say weren't coming out of her mouth; she definitely didn't expect it to be THAT good. She moved her body on top of Holly's, straddling her hips and leaning in for a kiss.

"I think you're wearing waaaay too many clothes"


	6. I Told You So

Holly was more than looking forward to Gail taking the reins, but at the same time she didn't want her to feel pressured into doing anything that she possibly wouldn't want to do…yet anyway. She just didn't want to urge something that could perhaps send Gail climbing more trees.

"…Gail…" she managed to get out through the rough yet passionate kisses that Gail was sharing. "You really don't have to. I mean, giving and receiving is good, actually in this situation it's more than good, but that's besides the poi-"

Gail and Holly had a habit of cutting each other off, but it was who they were, it worked and got the message across quite quickly.

"Holly! Stop. Talking" she said, sliding her hands under Holly's shirt and pressing her lips back where they had been.

Her hands frantically traced the warm body under her. She moved her hands under her bra and rested them on Holly's chest. Gail had never groped another woman before and at that moment all she could think of was, why hadn't done it sooner? 'Oh yeah, _mom_ wouldn't have appreciated the "experimental" college stage' she thought to herself. Quickly pushing her mother out of her head, she reached for the bottom of Holly's shirt and pulled it off. She parted her lips from Holly's so she could gaze at the impressive sight; Holly's breasts were complimented extremely well by her dark purple lace bra and she couldn't help herself. She wanted her even more than she had earlier.

"Why are you so freaking gorgeous?" she asked rhetorically, grabbing both sides of Holly's face over-dramatically.

Holly laughed and crashed her lips back onto Gail's and leaned her body up, allowing Gail to reach behind her.

Gail's fingers found the clasp, but she struggled to undue the hooks, immediately becoming more and more frustrated.

"Gosh, you're such a noob" Holly said, reaching behind herself and undoing her own bra and then tossing it off the bed.

"Oh yea, really sexy thing to say in bed Hol" Gail retorted. She moved her lips to Holly's ear "I might be new at this but I guarantee that I can still make your eyes roll back"

Gail sent a shiver through Holly's body. Yea, she could definitely get used to Gail as the dirty-talker.

Gail's mouth searched Holly's breasts. She sucked on the delicate tips and occasionally tugged at them with her teeth, causing the breath of the girl below her to quicken and become less steady. She payed an equal amount of attention to each breast, just as Holly had, making sure that she was enjoying every second (which by the slight nail scratching on her back, she assumed that she was).

Slowly, Gail moved down Holly's torso, leaving small kisses. Gail's hot breath against her skin sent Holly's head racing.

As she began to undo Holly's jeans, the nervous butterflies crept back into her stomach. Sure, in earlier days Gail had plenty of guys as sexual partners who 'went downtown' on her, but this time it was her having to do that line of work. She gave herself a small pep-talk as she slid Holly's jeans down her long legs. 'Just do what _you_ think feels good, she might like the same things' she reassured herself.

"Gail, you can still say no" Holly offered, noticing the blonde's hesitancy, almost as if hearing her thoughts.

Gail moved back up to Holly's face, their lips close enough to touch. "Holly..." she started, moving a hand down her frame and over her panties.

"Mhhhhm" Holly managed to get out, eyes locking with Gail's.

Her hand rubbed over the fabric. "…I have no problem with making you cum"

She let a finger slide into her panties and through Holly's folds, dipping into the wetness. She pulled her finger out and seductively sucked on it. "You taste so fucking good"

Holly bit her lip. The tone of Gail's voice alone was enough to make her even more wet. This woman was driving her insane; the way she said her name, how her hands found just the right areas of her body, how quickly she gained her confidence (although Holly was sure it was coming from seeing the effects the she had on her), the way she was teasing her right at that moment, keeping her lips close yet not touching. Everything she did made Holly want her a thousand times more – and that was just sexually.

Gail inched down to Holly's hips. Grabbing a hold of the last piece of clothing and slowly peeling it off, she eyed Holly, giving her a mischievous smirk.

She wrapped her arms around Holly's thighs and kissed the insides, sometimes biting at her soft skin.

Holly couldn't stand the wait much longer. She needed Gail to satisfy the burning desire to be touched again. "Gail, please" she begged, one of her hands tangled in her own hair and the other squeezing her breast.

Gail put her mouth to Holly's center. The first thing she remarked was that she was warmer against her lips than finger and extremely wet. The next was that she was sweet-tasting (she had been paying more attention to teasing Holly then actually tasting her), which really got her going. Her tongue parted Holly's folds and she took them into her mouth, sucking and lightly pulling. Holly leaned her head back as Gail found the sensitive nub and flicked it, faster and faster. Without warning, she slipped two fingers into her, causing Holly to moan loudly. Gail thrust her fingers, curling them just as Holly had, and keeping her mouth toying with her clit.

Holly's hands moved to gripping the sheets. She was so close. Gail was more than good at this. If it had been anyone else she'd assume that they had been lying about not ever doing it before. She opened her eyes to look at the girl between her legs. Gail was looking right at her, her clear blue eyes fixated on her own.

"Cum for me Hol" Gail said, still thrusting inside of Holly.

It drove her straight off the edge. Holly pulled at the sheets and her eyes rolled back, her legs uncontrollably shaking at the pleasure that surged through her core.

Gail gave her one last lick, taking all the juices into her mouth. She moved up to Holly's face and gave her a long passionate kiss before collapsing onto her back.

"I hate to say 'I told you so'".


	7. You Thought Wrong

The next morning's sun shone through the light grey drapes and Gail woke out of her sleep with the heat on her face. Surprisingly she was awake before her alarm had time to ruin her mood. She opened her eyes, gazing at the sleeping woman in front of her, both of them with their fingers twined together and faces barely apart. The moment made her heart leap, she hadn't ever experienced such a perfect occasion.

She thought about the night that they shared. Not about the sex itself, but about the fact that it was more than just sex for her. Every day since she met Holly she was surprising herself. She loved spending time at the morgue reading through Holly's books, loved having her as a drinking buddy, enjoyed that Holly's snarky remarks played on with her own, and as much as she hated sports she found that she was willing to try whatever cathartic thing Holly asked of her. Above all of that, she was surprised at how quickly and effortless it felt being able to learn to trust Holly.

Slowly, making sure not to disturb Holly in her sleep, she turned over and stretched her hand onto the night stand to grab her phone, the other still held near Holly's chest almost as if being protected. The time read 6:18 AM; perfect timing considering her alarm was set for 6:30 and her shift started an hour from that.

Gail turned off the alarm on her phone and set it back on the night stand, letting out a sigh because she didn't want to move, but knew she had to. Carefully, she placed a gentle kiss on Holly's forehead and slid out from her bed to change into her uniform.

"I like you better with your clothes off" a muffled voice from the bed said.

"Well good-morning Ms. Stewart" Gail started, inching her way back to the bed while doing up the buttons of her uniform shirt. "Stay here, I'm gonna make us some coffee" she said, leaning in and placing a kiss on Holly's lips before walking out of the room.

Gail was pouring the hot water into both cups when suddenly she heard the hardwood floor from the hallway creak and footsteps approaching the kitchen.

She finished pouring the water and began to turn around. "Hol, I told you to sta-" Gail stopped mid-sentence. The person standing before her definitely wasn't the Holly that she had just spent all night with…it was Chris. Confusion ran through her mind and she couldn't process what was happening. "Wait, I thought…Didn't you…You were supposed to be-"

"In Timmins? Yea, I know" Chris said, finishing Gail's thought. "Christian ended up having a sleepover at a friend's house so I came back here instead"

Gail's eyes widened. Was he there the whole time her and Holly were...She felt mortified. "But where's your truck?" she asked, hoping that maybe he had come back in the morning, after her and Holly's hot (and she was sure loud as well) rendezvous.

"I lent it to Dov so he could come back and forth from the hospital; he dropped me off last night and went back"

"Oh my gosh, did you-"

"Yeeeep, every bit of it" he took one of the two cups of coffee that Gail had begun to prepare and sauntered back to his room, giving a nod to Holly who had just appeared from the hallway.

"Oh and Gail" he said, turning around, "I'll be needing a ride to work"

Holly looked like a deer caught in headlights. "I thought you said-"

"Zip it, lunchbox"

Holly gave Gail and Chris an awkward ride to the station before leaving for her apartment to change and then the morgue. When she was alone and not surrounded by the totally obvious embarrassing tension in the car, she began to replay her night with Gail. She had sworn to herself so many times that she wouldn't fall for straight girls anymore after the plenty of terrible shut downs that she had, yet last night she found her way into Gail's bed. Gail Peck, a hard-headed and independent woman who was apparently straight when they'd first met, but their actions last night - as well as other more subtle moments - proving otherwise. And not just justifying that Gail was attracted to women…Proving that Gail was attracted to HER. She trusted HER. After late nights of multiple tequila shots, Holly knew that trust wasn't easily won with her and it could be easily broken and most-likely go un-repaired; something she never wanted to dabble to, and so when she heard Gail say that she trusted her made it her heart leap in ways she didn't know possible.

She smiled at herself as she pulled into the parking lot of the morgue. She really did mean it when she told Gail that she was falling for her. Just like that, Gail came out of nowhere. She had to admit, the moment she walked down that hill to the swamp she couldn't help but steal a glance at the blond; at first she thought the woman to be just another officer, but when she was assaulted by the snide remarks Holly noticed that she was absolutely gorgeous. And the snarky remarks, she can't forget those. She liked them and found them playful, not rude. Whenever Gail shot them at her, she shot right back, liking the fact that they challenged each other.

Chris and Gail made their way into parade and found seats next to Traci who turned to look at the two bodies that came near her. She took a quick look at Gail and her mouth began to open and she was just about to say something, but Chris had moved behind Gail with a grin on his face, flailing his hands to tell her not to say anything.

"So uh, hey Gail" she began hesitantly. Traci couldn't resist, she had to toy with Gail.

"Why are you being so weird" Gail asked, squinting her eyes.

"Did you stand in front of a mirror at all this morning?" Traci asked, trying to hide her laughter.

She scrunched her face in confusion. "What?"

"Gail, I think you got something over here" Chris sounded in, pointing just above the left of his collarbone. "Are we still teenagers Officer Peck?"

Gail felt the heat raise into her cheeks as Chris and Traci laughed at the hickey left on Gail's body. '_Dammit Holly'_ she thought.

"Alright team" Sergeant Best walked into the room, ending the wrath of Gail's complete distress, "To everyone who had been off – welcome back – you were missed and I hope you had your fun while you were off, but now it's time to get back into business"

"Oh Gail had fun" Traci whispered over to Chris who giggled at the comment.

"Diaz! Anything worth sharing?"

Chris cleared his throat. "Uh, no sir"

"Good. Anyways, luckily for everyone it's been a slow day. Nothing specific, just keep on patrol and let's try to meet quota – 15 has some catching up to do. Your assigned cars and partners are posted on the board. Serve, protect, and don't screw up. You're all dismissed."

Gail quickly spun out of her seat and towards the wall. '_Peck, Peck, Peck, Peck, PECK! Shit, McNally_ '…She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Looks like were riding together" Andy said.

Gail rolled her eyes and and began to head for the door. "Looks like" she responded, clearly showing that she wasn't pleased with who was chosen as her partner for the rest of the day.


	8. College

Gail walked to the car, noticing that the look on Andy's face said she that was either upset or bothered by something. The fact that Andy had hooked up with Nick angered her, no, not angered, it infuriated her that her good friend had done what she did. Gail was good at holding grudges, but the truth of the matter was that she was getting a little tired of trying to ignore her, especially after Sam got shot; Andy looked broken and as much as she would have liked to enjoy seeing her that way, she didn't. _Ughhhh why Holly, why_. She couldn't help but think that her softer demeanor was all because of Holly. Regardless, Gail wasn't going to give in until she got a proper apology.

As Andy pulled the car out of the station she attempted a civil conversation. "Do you want to stop at the sandwich shop later for lunch?"

"Not sure what I'm down for yet" Simple, short responses were how Gail decided to play it. "I change my mind about what I want a lot" she continued, jabbing at Andy's relationships.

"Okay Gail, seriously, I don't want to argue with you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I broke the code and slept with Nick, I don't know what I was thinking, and obviously now it was all for nothing because I got hit by my feelings for Sam like a tonne of bricks. Please just stop hating me for what I did. You were my friend Gail and I want us to be okay again" She braced herself for the cold response that she assumed was to come.

"What's done is done McNally" she said, keeping her eyes focused on the road.

Andy wasn't sure if that was peace being made or just Gail brushing off the conversation. "Soooo…"

"We're fine Andy" Gail felt kind of relieved. She was holding onto this burning, passionate hate for so long and now she had her friend back.

Even if she didn't realize it, Gail was growing as a person.

"_1504, we have a noise complaint in your area"_ After two and a half hours of patrolling, the woman on the other end of the radio finally cracked in. To Gail and Andy's disappointment it was only a noise complaint; they were hoping for some big action to end their slump and kick-start what could have been an exciting day.

Gail picked up the receiver. "This is 1504. What's the location of the complaint?" she responded.

They arrived at the given location, both of the officers looking less than thrilled to have been responding to the call. Noise complaints were almost too common in the area; it was crawling with rowdy college partiers.

As soon as they stepped out of the elevator they exchanged a look of concern and bolted towards the room where the loud screaming and crashes of breaking glass were omitted from.

_Are you fucking serious!?_

_What the fuck!?_

_Are you kidding me!?_

They were profanities coming from a female voice on the opposite end of the door.

Andy bunched her hand into a fist and repeatedly banged on the door. "POLICE! OPEN UP!" she yelled.

Gail and Andy impatiently waited for about 30 seconds before Gail kicked in the door and they frantically searched the room for the source of the commotion. When they had reached the living room there was a young man shielding his face with his arms from a young woman who continued to verbally harass him and strike at his large frame.

"HEY! Stop that! Get off him!" Gail protested, grabbing the girl from behind and pulling her away from hurting the man any more.

"What the heck is going on here!?" Andy asked.

To their luck, it was an argument (more like a brawl from the woman's side) between two college students who had been, before the complaint about a ruckus, in the process of breaking up. Gail hated college couples; they were constantly bickering and at no time did she witness a truly two-sided, loving one. Never did she once have a fully committed relationship throughout it, nor did she want one because they always, without a doubt, ended terribly. At the time, one night stands and plenty of booze was good enough for her.

The ride back to the station allowed Gail's memory to jog back to the time of her college years. The dreadfully horrendous lectures with professors who seemed too old to even stand, the long lines at every single Tim Hortons on campus, the parties, the hookups with hot guys and _wait a minute_, she paused and thought carefully…she _did _have a girl-on-girl experience! _Holy shit was I gay in college? _She wondered.

Her buddy Thomas had thrown the best party she had been to in years and although she only vaguely remembered that night, she remembered Lindsay, her close friend at the time. Yes, Gail was a little tipsy from the beers she had been shot-gunning, but Lindsay had been so drunk that she was practically throwing herself at anyone and anything. So, after Gail brought her upstairs and placed her on a bed to rest, Lindsay threw her arms around Gail's neck and pulled her on top of her, their lips roughly meeting by her force. At first, Gail didn't protest. Their hands explored each other's bodies through their clothes, but soon she broke away from her friend and said "Yea, you're fucking drunk" before laughing uncontrollably and guarding the door to make sure no creeps tried anything stupid.

She laughed off the thought of her previous question. She and Lindsay were never anything more than friends despite their drunken affairs. Not long after their graduation they lost contact after she moved to Vancouver and Gail stayed in Toronto. _Pfffft_ _I wasn't gay; it was just the alcohol and my raging young hormones_.

Andy and Gail arrived back at the station and brought the woman into booking while the kept the male in the station to be questioned by another officer. Gail sat at the desk and began to fill out her report sheet when she felt her phone vibrate through her pant pocket. It was Dov. She took a deep breath, hoping for some good news about Chloe.

Dov: The swelling went down and Chloe woke up. She's still a bit out of it though

"Holy shit" she said, startling Andy. "Chloe woke up" Gail announced, more cheeringly than she expected.

She quickly typed back to Dov.

Gail: Penny with everyone tonight. You need it.

"What? That's amazing, oh my gosh, thank God" Andy commented.

Gail extended her arms. "Penny for celebration later McNally!" she exclaimed.

Just then, she received another message, this time from Holly. Her smile grew even wider.

Holly: Me. You. Fancy dinner tonight at my place.

She smiled stupidly at her phone. Holly was more than sweet to her and she felt bad because she had JUST made plans.

Gail: We got some good news about that officer that had been shot, Dov's girlfriend Chloe. So, we're headed to the Penny later for drinks…you should come…you know, actually meet everyone properly.

Gail bit her lip. She had a bit of butterflies but truly wanted nothing more than for Holly to get along with her friends.


	9. The Penny

***Sorry that I took longer than usual to update! Here you go guys, enjoy!***

Gail paced quickly towards the doors of the Penny, her combat boots crunching against the snow-covered ground. The nights were getting colder and colder, it made her delicately pale cheeks flush with colour and she absolutely hated it.

"Geez Peck, walk any faster and I'd actually think you were running a marathon" Holly said, locking her car doors and following after Gail.

She stopped and turned to wait for Holly. "Don't be moronic, Gail Peck does not, and will not, run marathons…ever" she called out, shuttering theatrically in disgust.

Holly's movements turned into a slight jog. "Why not? Worried I'd out-run yah?" she playfully shot, her hand making contact with Gail's bottom as she rushed by.

"Did you just slap my butt?"

The look on Holly's face changed and she gave Gail a wink before holding the door open for her. "So what if I did?"

It was Oliver who waved Gail over to the booth and tables where all of her friends were gathered. Looking around the area, she noticed that everyone was there already. She took a deep breath and grabbed Holly's hand, calming her nerves only slightly. She was never nervous when it came to introductions, yet this time it was distinctively nerve-wracking knowing that she was about to acquaint them with her girlfriend. _Wait_…Gail stopped herself mid-thought but it was too late, her mouth had already started running once the two reached the party of people.

"Everyone, this is my girlfriend Holly. Holly, this is everyone"

Holly was taken completely off-guard. She looked at Gail and back at the people before her. "H-Hi" she stuttered, still trying to process that she had just been labelled as 'girlfriend' while the echoes of 'Hi's and 'Hello's filled the room. Her gaze fell onto Traci, a more familiar face, but this time one that quirked an eyebrow in Gail's direction; she knew that this was out of character for Gail. Holly turned her focus back to the woman beside her who had nervously exchanged a smile while locking her beautiful blue eyes to her own; it made Holly's heart skip beats.

Gail felt herself relax. _My girlfriend Holly_. She let it register through her head. Sure, she broke her whole "I don't like labels" aphorism, but at that moment she couldn't picture Holly as being anything less. She knew that it was only right to acknowledge that she was the one to blame for her beaming happiness over the past few weeks.

"Uh Gail, I know I've been a little M.I.A. lately but you could've told me that the very attractive forensic pathologist was off limits" Dov cut in.

Everyone around him let out their share of laughs and giggles despite knowing that Gail would find embarrassment in his fun. Gail couldn't help but notice Dov's changed mood; it was nice to see him in higher spirits; Chloe had not only woken up, but had also asked for him specifically. "Eyes to yourself Prince Charming, Holly isn't yours, Ms. Goody-Goody Cinderella is yours" she said, trying to hide her shyness while glaring at him jokingly.

Oliver's hand swiftly met the younger man's head, causing an uproar of laughter to be heard around the room. "Ouch, hey!"

"Don't worry Peck, I got you covered" he said, shaping his hand as a gun and pointing at Gail with a wink.

This is why Oliver was her favourite.

"No way! All she did was put it in his body wash and the next day he fell for her?" Holly asked Celery skeptically.

"Seriously! And don't tell Olly, but he is a terrrrrrible snorer, so this one time I put a scented mix inside his pillowcase and boom, no snoring!"

The two women laughed together by the bar and raised their bottles in unison as they glanced at Oliver and Gail who were also sitting together and caught their attentions.

"I know you don't want to hear it, but I could have told you this was coming" Oliver said to Gail.

"I didn't even know so how would you know?" She wondered. "Did Celery use one of her concoctions on me!?" Gail said questioningly.

Oliver finished the rest of his beer before answering the worried woman across from him. "That day at the station, I saw you come out of the interrogation room before she did but I didn't think anything of it-"

"Nothing happened" She didn't know why she bothered trying to lie to Oliver. He was always able to cheer her up in the weirdest of ways and the deep life talks (always one-sided of course) that they shared were always meaningful; even though she refused to seem the least bit interested in his theories of love or friendship, she truly was listening to his every word.

"Yeeea, anyway, then after when we were in the squad car you got so defensive when I actually wasn't even talking about you and Holly. I mean, it's totally like you to be dismissive…and cruel, rude, sometimes obnoxious, snobby, too good for-"

"Okay Shaw, I get it, you knew" Gail said, rolling her eyes.

Her eyes caught a figure moving towards the bar and stopping right where the two women were seated. It was Nick. She wasn't exactly sure why, but a one-on-one between her ex-fiancé and her recently classified girlfriend so early on didn't sit right with her.

She excused herself from the conversation with Oliver and began to head for the bar as soon as she saw Celery stand and walk away from her seat. Suddenly she heard her voice being called from behind her.

"Peck" Frank addressed her. "Listen, after what happened back at 15 it's been made mandatory for everyone to make an appointment with your designated therapist" he shared.

Gail looked over her shoulder at Nick and Holly who it seemed had already begun a conversation. _Great_. She smiled quickly before turning back around to head for the bar. "Yea, schedule therapist appointment. Got it. Thanks"

She took the empty seat beside Holly casually, as if not even knowing the two of them had been talking, and hailed down the bartender for a shot of tequila.

"Hey" Holly smiled, stopping mid-sentence from the discussion with Nick. "Nick was just telling me about that really great pizza place downtown that you really like" she said, as if she knew that the only reason Gail had stalked over to the bar was to eavesdrop or cut the conversation short due to worry.

Gail resisted the urge to tell her how much she actually hated the tacky and way too over-priced restaurant. She only ever pretended to love it because she knew that Nick had loved it so much. "Oh yea, Fabio's!" she exclaimed, pointing her finger upwards as if a light bulb went off in her head. She downed her tequila and continued, "So uh, sorry to cut this little party short but I was kind of thinking of heading out". She turned her focus to Holly and raised her eyebrows. "Maybe we can pop open one of your bottles of fancy wine when we get back to your place since I owe you for skipping out on the dinner"

Holly knew what Gail was implying. Since they both had Saturdays off that meant Holly would most likely not be getting any sleep and neither would Gail. "Well then" she began, hopping off of the stool, "I guess we better get going. It was nice talking to you Nick" she went in for a hug.

_Ugh, that's so her_, Gail thought.

The side of his mouth curled upwards into a half smile, "Take care of her".

Holly tossed her keys into the bowl by the door and made her way into the kitchen to grab a bottle of red wine while Gail made herself comfortable on the couch.

She grabbed two glasses and made her way to the couch, kissing Gail before setting the glasses and bottle onto the table in front of them. "So, you want to tell me what had you sprinting to the bar tonight?" She knew not to pry at whatever Gail was thinking, but she thought she might as well try to get something out of her.

Gail began fiddling with her fingers. "I don't know, I just-" she knew that if this thing with Holly was going to last, it was only right for her to be truthful, "He left me once and then when we got together again I was always doing things to make him happy. I wasn't myself; I didn't feel like I could be who I am around him. I guess at the Penny I just didn't want him to say anything that would make you want to leave". She searched Holly's eyes for a response.

"Hey" she started, leaning in for another kiss, "I told you, I want to stay. Plus, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't let you drink up the bar or kick my ass in your video games?" she smirked.

"Oh come on, I win every round fair and square!" she protested, taking the wine bottle into her hand and having a swig classily. "What were you going to cook for me tonight Ms. Chef?"

"Well, I was going to cook for you, but then I thought 'Gail would much rather Chinese takeout and beer', and then the hockey game on TV would've been for my own personal preference". She said, taking the bottle out of Gail's hand and putting her lips to the rim before tipping it up.

"God, you're perfect" Her one hand found Holly's cheek and she pressed her lips on Holly's while the other carefully grabbed the bottle and placed it back onto the table. Slowly, she leaned further into Holly, deepening the kiss and eventually laying on top of her.

***For the next chapter I'm considering a time gap of maybe a month or two, so bear with me as my ideas need to be constructed! Also, don't be a stranger to the comment box!***


	10. All About You

"_Shit!_" Gail practically threw herself off of Holly and ran to the kitchen where she had left her phone, leaving an incredibly confused Holly on the couch with her hands still up where her girlfriend's face had been. "Ollie told me to call when we got in. He's still a little paranoid" she explained, searching for his number.

"Oh, yea, take your time" Holly sat up, fixing her hair with one hand and with the other she reached for her shirt which Gail had carelessly tossed onto the floor.

"No no no. You. Bed. Naked. Now" A finger directing Holly to her own bedroom.

Holly rose from the couch and headed towards her room. As she passed the kitchen she unclasped her bra and placed it on Gail's shoulder with a wink. She laughed to herself the rest of the way as she heard Gail's demeanor change, attempting to rush Oliver off of the other end of the phone.

'_She's so fucking smug_' Gail thought, becoming more and more antsy as Oliver babbled on about how much fun he had.

"_Fiiiiiinally!_" Gail huffed. It was ten minutes later that Gail placed her phone back onto the island and practically ran to the bedroom, pieces of clothing on the hardwood floor to guide her. She stopped and leaned on the doorframe, staring at the beautiful woman in the bed with the sheets draped over her beautiful olive coloured body. She made her stomach burn with desire and her heart flutter like a teenaged girl; she made her speechless whenever she saw her gorgeous features.

"Do you plan on coming into the bed or do I need to help myself out tonight?"

Gail smirked and made her way slowly to Holly, undressing herself seductively while keeping focus on Holly's sultry brown eyes. "I think we both know that it'd be nothing like the skills that I have" she said, climbing on the bed and straddling her hips.

"What skills are those Ms. Peck?" Her hands finding Gail's bare thighs.

"Oh you know…" She lowered her lips to Holly's ear. "The ones that make you moan my name with that sexy orgasmic, loud voice of yours…" Her lips pecked at her neck. "Over…" Another kiss. "And over…" One last kiss, this time turning into a slight nip, causing a small moan to escape from Holly's lips. "And over" Gail gazed at her and gave a playful grin.

Holly could feel the wetness between her legs. "You're ridiculously hot, you know that right?" This woman was slowly killing her; she never had wanted anyone as much as her. She brought her lips to Gail's and wrapped her arms around her, turning her over onto her back and mimicking how Gail had positioned herself. Pinning her arms above her head, Holly leaned in, their lips only apart enough for the air to slip through. "I've just decided that tonight is just for you" she said huskily before placing a kiss on her lips, unquestionably turning her girlfriend on more than she already was.

"And what are you going to do to me?" Gail pressed.

Holly let one of her hands creep down Gail's body and between her legs, touching the dampness and then sliding her hand back up her body to cupping her breast. Gail let her nails run down Holly's back, threatening to leave her mark. "Everything…" she kissed her neck. "Very, very slowly" she continued, sucking on the soft skin under her lips.

"Hol you're such a tease!" she whined.

"Shhh" She whispered, her mouth meeting Gail's.

Their kisses were slow and sensual with the occasional bite of Gail's lower lip which sent her in a frenzy attempting to pick up the speed of their actions only to be shot down and leveled once again with Holly's passion. Gail's hands would explore the spots that she knew usually drove her girlfriend more than crazy, yet Holly would always manage to suppress her urges to quit her tantalizing movements.

She moved her lips off of Gail's and kissed down her jawline, resting her mouth on her neck and finding the area which, when kissed, never failed to cause a hitch in Gail's breath. She trailed her tongue across it and sucked the warm skin gently. Almost instantly, the blonde's hands squeezed Holly's hips and her breath caught in her throat. Gail could feel Holly smirk against her neck.

Her hands traced Gail's pale stomach, ending at her beautiful breasts and seeming like a perfect fit. Casually, Holly felt her under her palms, teasing her nipples with her thumb before settling her delicate mounds between her lips, earning her an alluring moan from the woman below her.

Holly's lips caressed their way down her stomach as Gail's fingers became lost in her brown hair. She was careful enough to try and avoid the ticklish sensation she knew Gail would feel, but it was inevitable; her back arched and a giggle echoed through the room, only provoking Holly even more.

"Come on Hol, you're killing me" she whined. Holly only responding with another sly smirk and rising up to kiss her lips once again.

She slid her hand torturously down her frame and it met the sensitive nub between Gail's legs, taunting the woman in circular movements.

Her mind wasn't moving fast enough and it definitely wasn't listening to her. She felt completely out of control as her hips moved against Holly's touch. Through her hazy thoughts she's sure that she's practically begging Holly to enter her. Soon, a finger slips its way down her wet folds and into her.

Gail is on fire. Holly's finger is wrapped tightly as she moves it slowly inside Gail's body. Sure, Gail had been begging for her to '_fuck_' her, but she's impressed with the patience she was showing and her ability to allow Holly to love every part of her. She slid a second finger in and Gail broke their kiss, her head falling back in complete satisfaction as the brunette continued her thrusting.

Holly curled her fingers against the pleasure spot of Gail's body and within moments her name was being ripped from Gail's mouth, the provocativeness of her voice sent a shiver down her spine. She wasn't finished with her yet.

She removed her fingers and rested them back on Gail's chest, massaging them while kissing her way back down her beautiful porcelain skin.

When she reached her thighs, Holly glanced up to look at Gail's who had her bottom lip trapped under her teeth, her eager blue crystal eyes locking with Holly's as she placed small nips on her legs, inching closer and closer to their destination.

Holly's lips met the wetness of Gail's body, tenderly rubbing her tongue across her folds. She began to suck and toy with the nub that caused her girlfriend so much ecstasy when touched. Holly quickened her pace and within moments, Gail's breathing became heavier. She continued to move against Gail, whose fingers found the sheets, now gripping at them in. It wasn't long after that her back arched and she gave into pleasure once again.

Holly placed one last gentle kiss below Gail's waist and then rose to her flustered face, kissing her tender lips.

"God Hol..." she began, trying to catch her breath. "That was…probably…the best sex…I've ever had" her hand reaching for the back of Holly's neck and pulling her into another quick kiss as Holly rested her back on the bed.

"Oh I know. You were quite vocal" she teased. "I think you'll sleep well tonight"

Gail chuckled and playfully shoved Holly before cuddling against her side and nestling her head into the crook of her neck.

They fell silent for a few moments. Gail was listening to the calm beating of Holly's heart while she fiddled with the fingers that were twined with her own. The last person that she had tried to cuddle with after sex completely rejected the attempt. Nick had been under the impression that Gail wasn't "the girlfriend type" and even though she pretended it didn't hurt, it did.

Almost as if hearing her thoughts, Holly stated, "You don't even know how happy and even more dorky you make me feel being able to call you my girlfriend" And that was all Gail needed to peacefully drift to sleep in Holly's embrace.


	11. Surprise

_One Month Later…_

Holly watched as the buildings that surrounded the car whizzed by one by one. She's wracking her brain trying to figure out where the heck Gail is taking her but the only thing she can think of is to Aria Ristorante; her favourite restaurant by the harbour. The giddy smile on her face soon fades as the bright lights of the wonderful and genuine Italian restaurant can only be seen in the rear view mirror. Remembering that she had been told to dress casual should have been the first hint that it wouldn't be a fancy dinner.

"Baaaabe…" She turns in her seat to face Gail who already is laughing at her attempt at the puppy dog eyes.

"Oh put a lid on it birthday girl, we're here" Gail giggled, pulling into the arena parking lot. She watched as the frown on Holly's face quickly changed into a wide grin, reminding her of a kid on Christmas.

"You have tickets for the game?"

"_We_ have tickets for the game" Gail corrected her, kissing her on the lips swiftly. "It's your two favourite teams and your birthday. I couldn't let you miss it for a clichéd fancy dinner" she smiled. Gail began pulling her zipper down, revealing the Toronto Maple Leaf jersey from under her jacket – obviously borrowed from Steve since she was never big on sports. "I have mine…" She reached into her bag and pulled out another "And I may have snuck yours in my bag when you went to start the car"

Holly would most definitely settle for street meat and a good beer at what was sure to be a good game.

There was ten minutes left in the third period and both Toronto and Chicago were scoreless. As much as Gail didn't want to admit it, she was actually having fun and enjoying herself. The aggression of the players when one body checked another into the boards, the cool yet warm air of the arena, the kids banging on the glass behind the home bench, the chanting for the home team, the drunken but entertaining idiots, the 'Ooooohs' and 'OOOHs' when someone missed the net, and Holly. She couldn't stop thinking about Holly. Her hand lightly grasping Gail's leg. Her eyes intensely focused on the game behind those cute glasses. The way she nipped at her bottom lip when both teams came close to scoring a goal. When she looked over at Gail for reassurance that she too was having fun. When she gave her that heart-stopping grin after catching Gail staring at her.

_BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. _The buzzer rang through the crowded arena and a sea of people in blue jerseys shot up with their fists in the air.

It was like everything was happening in slow motion. Gail watched Holly shoot up from her seat, cheering for the first goal of the game and nearly knocking the beer out of the hands of the guy beside her. The people in front of them turned to offer high-fives as well as those behind them and Holly eagerly accepted, visibly ecstatic over what just happened. Gail's heart thumped loudly in her chest as she rose from her seat, clapping her hands in celebration. She turned to Holly who was still cheering with the deafening crowd.

"Hol…" her voice going unheard.

Still cheering.

"Holly…"

"Geeez, did you see that!? What a goal! Oh my gosh!"

Gail looked at the stupid amount of excitement on Holly's face and couldn't help but smile. "Holly, I love you" she cut in.

Holly's face got serious in a matter of .2 seconds. "What?"

"I love you, you nerd" She shook her head almost as if not believing the words that had come out of her mouth. "I'm completely in love with you" There they were again; those butterflies.

Holly's chest tightened and her brain took a few seconds to process what she had just heard. It came as even more of a shock than when Gail had announced to her friends and colleagues that she was her girlfriend. Not because she didn't think Gail loved her, but because she had stolen the spotlight for saying it first. She took Gail's face in her hands and her smile grew impossibly larger. "I love you too" she said, sealing the new moment with a passionate kiss.

"_Yeeeea! Kiss her some more! Wooo!_" a man a few rows above encouraged, to which Gail responded with a quick flip of her middle finger and a giggle as her lips moved caringly with Holly's.

"Gail, Hun you missed the turn" Holly stated. "Oh it's alright, you can just turn here an – or you can miss that turn too" The confusion came back as she wondered what Gail was up to. She had driven to her apartment many times; there was no reason for her to be driving the wrong way.

"We're not going to your apartment" she smiled. Gail wasn't done with the surprises. For the entire duration of their relationship she promised herself that she would always try to keep Holly happy. It was her birthday, but regardless of that fact she deserved the world as far as Gail was concerned.

Holly raised an eyebrow. "Soooo where _are_ we going?"

"Well, I talked to your boss -"

"You talked to my boss?" Holly's face twisted in even more bewilderment.

"I talked to your boss and I talked to Frank to get the O.K. for the weekend off…The Pecks have a cottage up in Muskoka and during the winter it's pretty nice and I know you're into all that nature stuff so I figured you and I could go spend the weekend together, free of any worries, sitting by the fire…and a lot of sex"

"Aww Gail, that's sweet and I'd really love it…especially the last bit, but it's already past 10:30 and it's a good two hour drive, you're probably tired…and I have no clothes with me"

"Hol, I'm a police officer. I'm used to late nights. You can sleep in the car while I drive…and well, no clothes are fine with me" she laughed, earning a scolding look. "Relax, I have our stuff packed and in the trunk already"

"Did I tell you that I love you?"

"Only after I said it first" Gail joked, clearly proud of herself.


End file.
